Please Help?

[uGlitch]

Hi,
This is probably a dumb question...
I'm just wondering...I've been hearing that loaches kill off snails.
I have some kuhli loaches and I'm wondering if it'll be a good idea to add in a nerite snail for cleaning algae.
Would the kuhlies kill off the nerite snail?!
Please help!

 

[Biddles95]

hmm well.. they could and they couldn't .. im trying to remember if kuhlis do eat snails... i think they do how big is your tank because you could get a sucking loach or a pleco if its big enough because they will be a better addition to your tank and better cleaners

 

[uGlitch]

It's a fluval edge...6 gallons.
Plecos will get too big for my tank, and I've heard some bad things about octos.
Not sure what else I could stick in there as cleaners

 

[Wills]

Hi Glitch

Your quite right Plecos will outgrow your tank, very few tanks are right of them.

So far as I know Khuli loaches dont eat snails its more the Botide species of loach that eat snails like yoyo and clown etc.

You can also get algae eating shrimp which might work in a tank that size.

Wills

 

[Biddles95]

well shrimp could clean a little bit
erm is it the glass that you want to clean or the gravel?

 

[uGlitch]

Alright, I'll look into the snails and shrimp.
I just don't want the snails to start breeding and infesting my tank
Do nerite snails get out of control?
What kind of shrimp would eat up the algae and get along with kuhli loaches?

 

[Wills]

You could always stick with assasin snails, I believe they help with the algae as well. Zebra Nerite snails would work but they do get a little large - I think the horned nerite snails stay smaller and the good thing about nerite snails is they need marine water to breed but live in fresh water

Also Biddle - there are about 4 or 5 species at least of Shrimp that eat algae so would do exactly the same job as the snails. They would also do a much better job of cleaning a 6 gallon tank than your retarded suggestion of a plec or CAE - both of which 90% of fish keepers should never keep. Maybe research your own suggestions before giving other peoples suggestions the old rolling eyes emote.

Wills

 

[james_fish]

As said adding more snails gets rid of snails, as odd as is sounds.

But I had huge success when with loaches when I purposely added them to see wether my Botia Kubotai would eat them or not, I added around 50 common snails found on plants and within 48 hours there were none left whatsoever. And my Loaches are far from fully grown yet!

James.

 

[Monty-2010]

You could always try adding some moss or other plants that will compete for the same nutrients, it won't clean the algae but will help slow down its growth

 

[the biffster]

the only loaches i know that
eat snails are clown loaches

 

[uGlitch]

Thanks for your input! I ended up going with a nerite snail
Their markings are pretty nice and my LFS said that I can bring it in once it's too big for a smaller one.
Also, any ideas on how to feed my kuhli loaches without my mollies competing for the sinking pellet?
I'm feeding my balloon mollies flakes but they're going after the sinking pellet instead...
I dont' think my kuhli loaches are getting any food.

 

[uGlitch]

bump

 

[Wills]

Whats the total stocking of the tank? Mollies get quite large and IMO too large for a Fluval Edge. Most fish that are good in the edge are fish with either pygmy or micro infront of their names like micro rasbora or pygmy gourami etc.

Wills